I showed this blouse a while back and received several requests for a tutorial. Unfortunately, I didn't document the process very well as I was just experimenting around. I'm not a professional sewer, so these steps are just to show what I did and are not intended as instructions!

Earlier this year, I couldn't get enough of feminine tie-neck blouses. I wasn't in love with the options out on the market due to either fit, quality, or price points, thus ventured out to Savers thrift store. I zoomed through the racks looking for items that were:

- either in nice fabrics (silk, wool, etc) or interesting prints
- had a collar
- affordable enough to experiment with

I like shopping thrift stores for "fabric" versus going to regular fabric stores,
because you can find nice, unique materials for cheap, plus, you can take
advantage of existing features like button plackets or collars. It's all about seeing the potential. The collar feature was key for me, as it makes a piece so much more versatile (see last photo in post). After a dizzying spin through the store, I ended up with this monster of a dowdy shirt for $2.99:
Using a loosely-cut sleeveless blouse from H&M as a template, I dissected the shirt into five pieces: 1 torso, 2 pieces from sleeves to join together as the necktie, and 2 pieces from sleeves to finish raw edges on the armholes...
After snipping off the sleeves and slimming the sides of the torso, I noticed a fit issue. There was an unsightly gap, almost like an air bubble, near the armpit. Professional sewers would've known better to insert bust darts ahead of time, but I learned my lesson afterwards. The purpose of bust darts are simple - the front of your body is not flat as a sheet, so darts are necessary for allowing the fabric to contour against the curved portion of your chest and arms.

Again, I used my H&M shell as a guide for dart size and placement:

Next, you may have noticed that the edges of the armholes were raw and unsightly after the sleeves got snipped off. I'm sure there are a few ways to take care of this, but I ended up using some material from the sleeves to wrap around the raw edges.

Finished armholes:

Finally, I joined together the long sleeve strips to make the neck tie. The two strips were not long enough to tie a blow, so I had to salvage more scraps here and there to add a third joint. Definitely making use of every last bit of the $2.99!
I've also worn this blouse with a solid black sash as the tie and it worked nicely. If you have existing collared blouses -
try looping a long, thin sash (or fabric belts from other garments) around the neck to add some bow-tie flavor. Just make sure the material is lightweight or else it will droop heavily and not retain a perky bow shape.

Finished product once again, and another outfit showing the versatility of a pretty collar:

On a last note, many of you have asked for sewing machine recommendations. I've used the same old Brother machine for over 10 years. The model is no longer made, but it has just the basic few stitches and has served me well as a beginner's machine. It looks very similar to this lightweight 10-stitch Brother machine which is more affordable than most options.

Readers - Do you like to re-purpose items from the thrift store?

I won't be able to answer any comments, questions or emails until June. Thank you for your patience!

I have not touched my sewing machine in years, but your inspiring post just gave me courage! Today I found a darling linen skirt at Goodwill for 6 bucks - the fabric is great, the cut is not. I'm going to see what I can whip up. :)

After reading your post I want to learn how to sew. I love the transformation of your blouse. Just looking after the before image the blouse itself looks "ehh" and the after image looks amazing!! The blouse itself looks like a $30- $40 blouse. Love it! you inspire me all the time Jean =)

Very nice job! You have a good eye for seeing the potential in the BEFORE version of the shirt. hehe

Huge armholes are a problem for me too. I usually pay attention to the fit on the model form if they have a picture from the size view of an item I want to purchase it. Another problem is really long straps (ahem, Theory, even in sz P or 0) so I find that I have to get the straps taken up for things I love but don't want to pass up.

I love polka dot blouses and just bought one on Piperlime (Trinity Polka Dot tank) with no collar.

I wish I knew how to sew or had a friend that sewed (and my mom is out of state). I usually take my alternations to Best Fit on Newbury St (and I've tried Michael's Alterations for the easier stuff since he's cheaper) but maybe I'll try yours (Hemmingway Tailors) from your previous reviews one of these days. :)

I don't think I have the patience for a project like that. I bought a skirt on super sale that had loose threads in the embroidery, and after a few sad attempts to fix them myself, I just handed it to my tailor to fix. I think I'm more of a "throw money at the problem" kind of person than a DIY'er. =(

Always making everything look so good... and so easy! If it were me, I'd probably have sewn my finger... that's actually happened to me once :X Love your DIY posts as usual!aneyeforfashion.blogspot.com

I love this post Jean - I think you did a fabulous job on this shirt...professional sewer or not! I've never thought to repurpose a dowdy blouse like this, but now you have my cogwheels spinning. I love to get treasures at the thrift store and fix them up. I just finished drafting a blog post for tomorrow with a red skirt I found at Goodwill for $5. All I had to do was hem it. ;-)

Very nice, Jean! I'm glad you decided to make this DIY into a full post because it turned out so beautifully and looks like you sewed it from scratch rather than a refashioned garment.

If you're interested in other sleeve finishing options, here are 2 that I've used in the past: 1. Sew bias tape (purchased for under $2 or self-made) to the edge, fold in, and secure fold with a line of stitching. This allows you to have a narrower look like the H&M top. 2. If you have additional fabric, create a facing for each armhole. This allows you a finished look without a visible sewn edge. For example, would look like the armholes of a lined sleeveless top without having to line the entire top. Eek, this makes more sense in my head than typed out. Let me know if you have questions :)

It's well-priced ($127 + free ship, can sew heavier duty fabrics and stitches so much more consistently than my cheapie Brother from Wal-Mart (Mom used to have an older Brother that worked marvelously but it seems like the newer, economy line has suffered in quality).

this is INCREDIBLE! I just thrifted a very similiar maternity top that is black with white polka dots...and am going to try to follow your steps! (for a big belly, though)Adorable transformation - love the photos.

I have always known how to sew as my mom taught me (she made her own wedding dress!) and have made a lot of quilts and done basic hemming. But after reading more and more about fit and especially on petites, I've realized I need to get comfortable with sewing. This is a great idea for finding cheap items and practicing! I will def be doing this over the long weekend. :)

Love! Have been enjoying the refashion/alterations posts that you've been putting up --- I've been doing it on and off for awhile now, but I always learn neat tricks when you post about it. I agree, collared shirts are really versatile, especially when the collar peeks out a bit, creates a whole new look. Thanks for sharing!

That's a fantastic product; awesome that you intentionally hunted for something that suited what you had in mind - i'm too lazy to do that. BUt I really love how thrifty you are - it really equips one with an eye to see the potential in everything and honestly, your blog is so much more helpful than fantastic ones with amazing bloggers modelling top-to-toe designer because 90% of us can't afford that anyway. Yay, great job!

I love this post! You should do more DIY updates. It's easy for people like Really Petite to run out and buy all the outfits that you've put together but you can't buy talents and good eyes for fashion. :)

I went to Goodwill today and found the exact same blouse, new with tag for $3.99! I have never used a sewing machine before (LOL) but I'm hoping to turn it into a beauty like yours with my mother inlaw's help.

Love this idea! I have been looking for a long sleeveless shirt to layer over tanks and dresses this summer but haven't been able to find what I am looking for. Will be hitting the thrift stores soon to try this.

Jeannie-pooh I'm always impressed by your unique ways of making something ill-fitting and turning it into something cute, chic and stylish! The bow tie from the sleeves is a PLUS! I also love your tutorials because they are so easy to follow and what's best is even though you have a hundred+ messages per blog post, you're still very responsive to your readers! :) Keep up the excellent job on your blog!

P.S. In regards to your comment on my vacation diaries, I think when it comes to cruising the best way to explore the islands is get off the ship no later then 9/10AM and plan in advance. I really enjoy cruising, but definitely would love to visit one of these islands for 3-4 days next time... Hope you two have fun wherever you go and I'd love to see your vacation diaries too! :)

Wow, I love it! The top definitely looks very expensive and chic after the transformation. I'm not sure I have the sewing prowess to pull this project off but I'm really impressed by what you did with it!

I am halfway through this DIY and am having trouble with the bust darts. Do you put them in before sewing the side seam? If so, won't the front piece be shorter than the back? I can't seem to get it right and would appreciate help from anyone who has tried this tutorial.

Hi Jessica - they have to be added before sewing the side seam. Experienced sewers probably plan ahead with the pattern and adjust so that the front piece is longer, and therefore can have a bust dart allowance and still be the same length as the back...unfortunately for me, I was learning as I go and it was an afterthought.

I love these refashion tutorials! I'm too cheap to buy clothes full price,;) so I usually buy from thrift stores. The clothes don't always fit right, so I end up making adjustments, so any tutorials are always helpful!

I purchased several badly out-of-style Good Will dresses last year, and easily and quickly made them into wonderful skirts -- but your tutorial suggests that I should alter the upper dress areas and keep them as dresses. Thanks so much for this eye-opener!

Thought you might like to know that someone has taken all of your pictures and spliced them together to make a pinterest tutorial which doesn't link back to you in any way. http://pinterest.com/pin/96053404523376088/Not that I'm aware of any way to combat this ignorant behaviour, I know of other bloggers who have their projects similarly treated.

I recently discovered your blog and I absolutely love it! Your DIY posts are great and have inspired me to start my own sewing adventures and blog. I bought a beginner's Brother machine and am having a blast with it. Inspired by this post particularly, I just completed my first DIY alteration!

Service Uniform delivers to several locations surrounding Denver, including Aurora. Uniform rentals offer clean and customized solutions for any work environment. Service Uniform provides uniforms for any type of company whether it is corporate, blue collar, industrial, manufacturing, repair or service. Other products are also offered at Service Uniform, such as mats, towels, fender covers, and dust mops.

Hi, I was wondering if you knew how to make a sleeve narrower? I bought a huge blazer from a thrift store (size 6, I'm a 00 like you) and the sleeves are far too wide (not to mention everything else). Any pointers?

In regards to present day fashion, the fitness world has created a craze of certain items such as gym tank tops and yoga pants that are worn as casual wear by many people on a daily basis, whether they attend a gym or not.sleeveless shirts